Self-introduction: Mr. Kong Sothea
My name is Kong Sothea, and I am from Cambodia. Currently, I am in charge of academic affairs
at the Division of Academic Affairs. I also serve as a lecturer on food preservation at the Facultyof Agro-Industry, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia. I earned my master’s degree fromthe Kyushu University, Japan, in 2015. Ever since my return to Cambodia, I contributed toward
my country and workplace with my knowledge and experience.
For instance, I worked with many farmers, helping them enhance their knowledge of post-harvest
food management and food safety through many field-school training programs in the Kampot
province. I also engaged with non-governmental organizations as part of collaborative projects
dedicated to the betterment of farmers’ livelihood who are primarily occupied in the agricultural
sector. Despite time constraints, I never stopped providing special lectures on food sciences tosecond-year students as part of the faculty mentioned above. These students will eventually assist
in the nation’s development as researchers, trainers, and technicians. Through my experiences, I
clearly realized the urgent needs and gaps our country and workplace are dealing with. One major
issue is the lack of labels on foods. Not only many fermented foods, but also other locallyprocessed foods are not labeled properly in terms of the specific description of functional foods
and food ingredients. Another issue is foodborne diseases, especially unclear food additive
applications that are a big concern for food consumers. Chemical additives used for foodpreservation have unknown sources and are not permitted in foods. Such prevailing issues
motivated me to apply for a three-year Doctoral Program of the Nagoya University Scholarship toconduct evidence-based research in fermented foods in Cambodia. Therefore, I expect my study
to contribute toward solving food issues and make essential food reports available in the country.
After completing this course, I will be able to provide sustainable solutions to the displacement
issues related to Cambodia’s food sector. First, I can contribute with my knowledge about foodsafety and standard to many food producers, especially traditional fermented food producers
through the Association of Cambodian Food Chemistry at the Faculty of Agro-Industry. Presently,
this association lacks highly professional expertise to share such knowledge despite being
successfully established. I hope to assist them efficiently with the skills I gain from my doctoral
study. Second, as part of the faculty, I will be in a proper position to contribute to human capitaldevelopment and to the students studying at the Faculty of Agro-Industry in the field of foodsciences, thereby turning them into outstanding and high-flying students as well astransformational leaders of the future. Finally, I can jointly engage in projects with otherresearchers in preparing food policies and boosting livelihood of farmers and food producers,
greatly improving my networking, teamwork, intercultural competence, and language skills.
I am grateful to my supervisor Dr. Kasumi ITO and the Nagoya University Scholarship forproviding me with an excellent opportunity to fortify and upgrade my conceptual, analytical, andresearch capabilities necessary to tackle Cambodia’s existing issues in the food sector and help meearn the reputation of being a highly qualified, professional expert in my field.